1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an emergency eye wash system and more particularly to an emergency eye wash system which is simply constructed, compact and reliable.
2. Description of the Related Art
Emergency eye wash systems are often present in industrial plant settings, industry and academic laboratories and in commercial environments where researchers, students, customers and workers may be accidentally exposed to dangerous conditions and materials.
The Occupational Safety And Health Administration has ruled that eye wash fountains are mandatory at specified industrial work stations. The American National Standards Institute has issued standards for portable eye wash fountains relating to flushing periods and rate of flow. The present requirements are that the eye wash nozzles in a portable eye wash fountain should deliver no less than an aggregate of one and one-half liters per minute (approximately 0.4 gallons per minute) of eye wash fluid during a fifteen minute period.
A number of eye wash devices and liquid carrying bags have been patented over the years as shown in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,012,798; 4,363,146; 4,526,793; 4,881,283; 4,939,800; 5,566,406; 5,695,124; 5,774,908; and 5,850,641. These devices, however, tend to be overly complicated, relatively expensive and not very reliable. Some of these devices also tend to be bulky.
It is also important that such emergency eye wash systems be readily accessible and easily and quickly operated. An emergency eye wash system must also operate effectively once activated even though the system sat dormant for a long time period.
What is described here is an emergency eye wash system including a housing having a movable tray, a source of eye wash fluid mounted in the housing, two eye spraying nozzles mounted on the tray, and a conduit connecting the nozzle and the fluid source, the conduit being slideable from a closed position to an open position whereby in the open position, eye washing fluid is able to flow from the fluid source to the nozzle.
There are a number of advantages, features and objects achieved with the present invention which are believed not to be available in earlier related devices. For example, the system disclosed here is simply constructed, reliable and relatively inexpensive. The system disclosed here also meets government regulations relating to flow rate, duration and shelf life. A further advantage of the disclosed system is that it is compact and easily mounted to a variety of structures so as to be readily accessible.
A complete understanding of the present invention and other objects, advantages and features thereof will be gained from a consideration of the present specification which provides a written description of the invention, and of the manner and process of making and using the invention, set forth in such full, clear, concise and exact terms as to enable any person skilled in the art to which it pertains, or with which it is most nearly connected, to make and use the same in compliance with Title 35 U.S.C. Section 112 (first paragraph). Furthermore, the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing provided herein represents an example of the invention which is described here in compliance with Title 35 U.S.C. section 112 (first paragraph), although the invention itself is defined in the Claims section attached hereto.